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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] First Aid kits

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  • From: Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] First Aid kits
  • Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:41:37 -0600

A 5 gallon bucket would be a first aid kit to keep in the trailer.

I store phenylbutazone (bute) tablets in the trailer. Yes, the trailer gets
hotter
and colder than the recommended storage conditions, but this drug is a
crystal and
the tablets are stable enough. Most items in my personal first aid kit can
be used
also on the horse. My kit includes a few tablets of bute for the horse.
That kit
lives in my day pack, which I store in the house and carry on all SAR
missions.

I administer bute tablets as-is.

A minor injury is not a medical emergency. In general, first aid kits
suffice only
for minor injuries; their contents are useful to have but not actually
necessary,
at least not for a trip the duration of a SAR task assignment. I used to
work in
extremely remote and inaccessible wilderness areas. The most important items
in my
first aid kit were antibiotic ointment, pain relievers, and a thermometer. I
also
had prescription systemic antibiotics. The thermometer was an aid to help us
decide
if a sick or injured person required evacuation from the field to a hospital.
From
one field location I worked, evacuation would take at least 4 days. The
systemic
antibiotics were for use during those 4 days.

Equine medical emergencies away from home are of two kinds: those that
happen far
from a trailhead, and all others. For both kinds, the most valuable thing to
have
is a written plan for contingencies. For locations from which the horse
cannot be
evacuated, the plan includes euthanasia. Who can do it, by what method? For
other
locations, a prepared list of area veterinarians and veterinary hospitals
could be
a life saver. It is good if you can arrange to have a person trained in
logistics
at home or at the trailhead who can work the telephone on behalf of a horse,
but
to do this effectively the logistics person will need a resource list: kind
and
quality of resource, name, location, and phone number. Do you need a mobile
vet,
or a specialty hospital? How far away? Etc.

Here's an example of a typical trail mishap in steep terrain far from a
trailhead:

Tevis Volunteer Rescues Fallen Mare
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=16748

The greater your time-to-hospital is, the more important prevention becomes.
My
favorite book that addresses injury prevention and risk management more
generally
in the context of wilderness travel is "The Backpacker's Field Manual,
Revised and
Updated: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills" by Rick
Curtis.

Stay safe,

Una Smith
New Mexico




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